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Gameplay is similar to the previous two games in the series in which players follow dance moves which are tracked by the Xbox Kinect. The more accurately the players dance, the more points they earn. Harder difficulties mean harder moves for the players to follow. New to Dance Central 3 is the Crew Throwdown mode where two teams of up to four go head-to-head in a series of performances, dance battles & mini-games. There will be a "Keep the Beat" mini-game which will have the player track the rhythm and the "Make Your Move" mini-game which will have players compete making up routines on the fly. Also new to Dance Central 3 is the Beginner mode, a difficulty mode for people completely new to dancing games, and Party Mode, where random songs and minigames are played and as people play, they are progressively moved up or down a difficulty depending on how well they are performing.[3]

All of the characters from the previous two games return with the addition of Rasa and Lima, both of whom form the DCI crew. Despite for Dare, MacCoy, and Oblio not appearing in Dance Central 2, DCI, Lu$h, Hi-Def, Flash4wrd, & Riptide are available from the start, while D-Coy, Murder Of Crows, Glitterati, D-CYPHER, Icon, and Ninja Crew are unlocked through leveling up. The only characters who do not return are CYPH-ELITE and ELIOT, because both of them will return in the near future in the series.

The player receives an invitation to an underground dance party. When the player's swag is verified Rasa and Lima welcome the player to "the party." After successfully dancing to Bass Down Low the party's secret is revealed that it's DCI and they want to recruit the player to be an agent. To prove the player's skills to be an agent Rasa and Lima challenge the player to Sexy and I Know It. After passing the test, they intercept a transmission from Dr. Tan revealing that "Project Lockstep" has reached the phase two. Rasa and Lima explain to the player that they sent various crews back in time to learn the dance crazes to use against Dr. Tan as Dare and Maccoy (who are also DCI agents) are missing. The player meets up with Lu$h Crew in the '70's to learn the Hustle. Angel is having a good time in the era, however Miss Aubrey dislikes it heavily because her hair is feathered and the stage smells like hotdogs and won't stop complaining about it.But in the end she learns that everything is just fine. The player travels back to the 80's to learn the Electric Slide with Hi-Def. Hi Def wanted to challenge the player to a dance off but was reminded of their duties by Rasa. Returning to the present, Rasa and Lima inform the player that Dare and MacCoy are found but are under mind control, thanks to a device Dr. Tan used on his army. While Lima has the mind control device analyzed by the computer to find out any countermeasures, Rasa instructs the player on their next objective.

The player heads to the 90's where Flash4wrd are having a house party (at their childhood home) to learn the Macarena. Taye and Lil' T had so much fun that they ended up coming with a new dance craze called the House Party but were berated by Lima for disrespecting the time-space continuum. Once they return to DCI headquarters, Dr. Tan has breached the security system and Lima has the player travel to the 2000s era to get Bodie and Emilia back.

The player ends up a studio where Riptide is hosting a show called Dance Central Live. Riptide are reluctant to go back in the present since the show is currently in mid-season. After learning the dance craze, the Cupid Shuffle, they receive a transmission from Rasa that the DCI headquarters is under attack but the transmission was cut off.

Back in the DCI headquarters, Bodie and Emilia get taken away in the darkness. The player then receives a transmission from Dr. Tan that he has sent the dance crews to the pre-historic era where he claims dinosaurs have taken care of them (depicted in a childish drawing). He then commands the mind-controlled Rasa and Lima to defeat the player in a dance battle. During the conflict, the computer finishes the analysis of the mind control device and reveals its weakness: expressive movements or "swag." The player manages to free the agents and is instructed by Rasa to go into the future where Dr. Tan has settled, not without powering Boomy for the trip and learning the Scream.

Reaching the future in "Tantopia," Dr. Tan revealed that he wants to dominate the future. He reveals two new robots, M.O.C.-78 and M.O.C.-56 and a mind controlled Oblio, who is then revealed to be Dr. Tan's son to challenge the crazes learned previously. Afterwards, the robots were destroyed. Not willing to give up, Dr. Tan hesitates and challenges the players to the hardest dance of all: OMG. After defeating them, Oblio breaks free of the mind control device and tells the player to trap Dr. Tan in the time stream with freestyle dancing. The player succeeds in defeating Dr. Tan once and for all and returns to the DCI headquarters.

Lima and Rasa commends the player for their actions and has informed that all of the crews (including Dare and MacCoy) have been rescued and the dance world is safe again. The player is now tasked with a new mission: to get the party started!

In a post-credits scene the Glitterati claims to plan to create mischief for DCI.

Dance Central 3 is able to import all songs from both Dance Central and Dance Central 2 for US$4.99 per disc. If a physical disc is used to perform the import function, the user will also need the unique code from each game's manual; however, if a Games on Demand version of Dance Central 2 is used, then no export code is required. Also, if the user has previously imported the original Dance Central, then the import function does not need to be performed again.[4]

There is a downloadable demo which is via Xbox Live. The demo includes two crews, DCI and Riptide crew & two stages, DCI HQ and Studio 675 (both characters and stages are already selected for the players, so there is no way to alter them). The demo besides providing perform it and dance battle for the player, it also provides a party mode for the player to use and all functions of party mode are included in the demo.